1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to exercise apparatus, and more particularly, to an athletic harness that properly supports a weightlifting bar at the shoulders during free weight front squats.
2. The Prior Art
A free weight squat requires that the bar on which weight plates are mounted be positioned across the individual's shoulders in front of or behind the neck. In the absence of an appropriate apparatus, an individual uses his or her hands to hold the bar in place. In this situation, the bar is susceptible to slipping out of position, for example, because of possible physical limitations of the individual, combined with the fact that the shoulders do not provide an adequate horizontal or depressed surface on which to rest the bar. As a result, there may be a need to limit the weight of the bar to preclude slippage. This makes it difficult for an individual doing squat exercises to reach his or her full potential.
Also, an emergency may occur requiring the individual to drop or "dump" the bar. In the absence of an appropriate apparatus, the individual would try to push the bar away from his or her body and then release it, allowing it to fall to the floor. Depending on the nature of the emergency, this may be difficult to do and cause further injury. For example, if the individual has lost his or her balance and is falling backwards, the bar may simply roll or slide down the front of the individual's body, possibly causing substantial injury.
The typical prior art apparatus for performing free weight squats is a device that is positioned on the shoulders of the individual. The bar is then positioned in slots or notches, located in front of or behind the neck, that keep the bar from sliding down the front or back of the individual's body. The apparatus typically is kept in place by handles that the individual grasps or by straps that wrap around the individual's torso. The need to hold the apparatus handles leaves the bar susceptible to sliding or falling to the side due to a lack of proper balance and control of the bar. The need to tightly bind the straps around the torso so that the apparatus does not slip out of place from the weight of the plate-loaded bar makes it difficult to breath properly when doing squat exercises.
Furthermore, notches and slots do not permit easy dumping of the bar if the individual feels a need to do so. With an apparatus that has handles, the individual's hands must control the apparatus rather than the bar, so that the ability to control a dump of the bar is decreased dramatically. With an apparatus that has straps, the straps must be wrapped tightly around the torso, making it more difficult to bend in order to dump the bar.
Thus, there continues to be a need for an apparatus that combines the abilities to properly locate a weight plate-loaded bar, to adequately control the bar, and to breath correctly so that an individual can realize his or her full potential in the free weight squat exercise.